Diaper button



Aug. 18, 1 970 J. B. HANKEL 3,524,2

DIAPER BUTTON v Filed Nov. 29. 196'? (Jo/7 v 5. H /Kn- I ATTORNEY INVENTOR United States Patent 3,524,230 DIAPER BUTTON John B. Hankel, 1248 Highview Drive, New Brighton, Minn. 55112 Filed Nov. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 686,531 Int. Cl. A44]: 9/18 US. Cl. 24157 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention describes a diaper button or fastening means for securing overlapped layers of cloth together. The device includes a female portion and a male portion connected by means of a flexible detachable hinge. The male portion includes one or more prongs having enlarged pointed ends designed to penetrate the layers of cloth. The female portion includes a button-like body including a. sleeve into which the head of each said prong is designed to extend. The sleeve is provided with a pair of opposed resilient flaps between which the enlarged head of the pin extends, the flaps engaging the head to prevent accidental disengagement.

This invention relates to an improvement in diaper button and deals particularly with a means of connecting two layers of cloth or similar material in overlapping relation.

It has long been recognized that the safety pins commonly used to secure diapers in place on a small child are not entirely satisfactory for this purpose. Care must be taken in inserting the pin through the cloth, first in the direction toward the body of the baby and then in the opposite direction, in order to prevent pricking or scratching the baby with the point of the pin. Furthermore, serious accidents have occasionally resulted when the movement of the baby causes the pin to spring open and leave the point of the pin unprotected. It is a purpose of the present invention to eliminate such difficulties.

A feature of the present invenvtion resides in the provision of a fastener including two parts which are hingedly connected together. The first of these parts comprises a button-like disc having a pair of cloth penetrating prongs attached thereto in parallel relation. The other of the parts comprises a hollow button-like body having a pair of sleeves thereupon projecting toward the prongs. As the two parts of the structure are hinged together, the prongs enter the sleeves and become frictionally engaged therein, thereby holding the two parts assembled until manually separated.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a structure of the type described in which the prongs include enlarged pointed ends which may be readily frictionally engaged in the sleeves described. These headed ends preferably includes a conical tip connected at its base to the large diameter end of a frusto-conical section which tapers to the diameter of the shank of each prong. The conical tip will readily penetrate the fabric, and the enlarged base of the conical tip tends to hold the layers of cloth engaged on the pins. However, the pins may be readily withdrawn from the cloth by drawing the frusto-conical portion adjoining the tip outwardly through the fabric.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an effective locking means for holding the socket portion of the device engaged with the heads of ice the prongs. The ends of the sleeves into which the pointed ends of the prongs are inserted are provided with pairs of opposed inwardly inclined flaps which normally terminate in end-abutting relation defining a slit therebetween. These flaps are spread apart to accommodate the enlarged pointed ends of the prongs therebetween. When the prongs are fully inserted, the ends of the flaps engage against the frusto-conical portion of the pointed ends of the prongs adjoining the conical tips thereof, and resist removal of the prongs from the sleeves. At the same time, the frnsto-conical portions of the prongs act as cams to force the ends of the flaps apart to permit removal of the prongs when the portions of the devices are hinged apart.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of the type described in which the top two parts are hingedly connected by means of a flexible hinge which permits an adjusted relationship between the two parts of the fastening device and which provides a detachable connection between the two parts. Accordingly, the two parts of the fastening device may be detached so that the pins may penetrate the cloth at a greater distance from the edge of the cloth when it is so desired.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the fastening device showing the general arrangement of parts therein.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the device being broken away to disclose the interior thereof.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the fastening device, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the device, the position of the section being indicated by the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing the female portion only of the fastening device.

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged elevational view of one of the cloth penetrating prongs.

The fastening means is indicated in general by the letter A, and includes, in general, a male portion 10 and a female portion 11. The two portions are connected together by a hinge construction which is indicated in general by the numeral 12. When the male and female portions of the fastener are connected together, they are designed to hold layers of cloth such as indicated at B connected in overlapping relationship.

The male portion 10 of the fastener includes a supporting disc 13 having a pair of spaced parallel prongs or pins 14 projecting in a generally normal direction therefrom. The prongs 14 are provided with cloth penetrating ends 15 which include a conical tip or point 16 connected at its base 17 with the large diameter end of a frustoconical portion 19 which tapers to the circumference of the shank 20 of the pin 14. As will be noted, the base portion 17 of the pointed tip is of substantially larger diameter than the shank of each pin so that once the tip of the prong has penetrated the cloth, it tends to retain the layers of cloth thereupon. The enlarged tip of each prong serves a second function as will be later as indicated at 22. As is indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the notches 22 are of greater width at the base 23 of each notch than at the entry point, the substantially circular base portions 23 of the notches being of substantially greater diameter than the Width of the entrance portion 24 of each notch. The ears 21 are formed of material which is sufficiently resilient to permit the portions of the ears on each side of the entrance portion 24 of each notch to flex apart to admit a pivot shaft as will be described.

The female portion 11 of the fastening means includes a disc-like member 25 which is preferably of smaller diameter than the disc 13 and which may include a peripheral flange or skirt 26 designed to extend toward the male portion of the device. A pair of substantially cylindrical sleeves 27 are supported on the disc 25 with their axes normal to the plane of the disc. These sleeves 27 are spaced apart properly to receive the prongs 14, the axis of the sleeves 27 being designed to substantially coincide with the axis of the prongs 14 when the fastening device is in a closed position as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

As is indicated in FIG. 5 of the drawings, each of the sleeves 27 is provided with a pair of upwardly and inwardly inclined flaps 29 extending from opposite sides of the sleeves 27, the ends of the flaps 29 normally engaging in end-abutting relation to provide a slit 30 therebetween. The slits 30 of the two sleeves 27 are preferably parallel and on planes normal to the pivotal axis of the female member 27. The flexible strap 31 extends from the periphery of the skirt 26 in a radial direction, the axis of the strip 31 being at right angles to a plane through the axes of the sleeves 27. A pivot shaft or arm 32 is provided at the end of the strip or strap 31, the axis of the pivot shaft 32 being parallel to the plane through the axes of the sleeves 27. The pivot shaft 32 extends to opposite sides of the strap 31 and is normally engaged in the cylindrical base portions 23 of the notches 22 in the ears 21.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that the fastener A is designed to hold layers of cloth B in overlapping relation. This is accomplished by placing the overlapping layers of cloth over the pointed ends of the prongs 14 while the female portion 11 of the device is swung into the open position indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The female portion 11 is then swung downwardly against the cloth, forcing the cloth onto the prongs 14 and forcing the pointed ends of the prongs through the cloth and into the ends of the sleeve. The ends 15 of the prongs move upwardly between the flaps 29 until the ends of these flaps 29 engage against the frusto-conical portion 19 of the prongs as indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. When thus engaged, the flaps 29 tend to hold the female portion of the device engaged with the male portion thereof. At the same time, the two portions of the device may be manually pivoted apart when desired, and the female portion 11 may be swung back into the open position indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, permitting the layers of cloth to be removed from the prong when desired.

While the portions of the button have been shown plain and unornamented it is an important feature of the invention that the exposed portions lend themselves very well to decoration. In actual practice, at least the female portion of the fastener is designed as an ornament which will enhance the appearance of the diaper.

I claim:

1. A fastening device including:

a. male body portion and a female body portion hingedly connected for movement toward and away from one another,

said male body portion including a prong having a shank provided with an enlarged pointed end extending substantially normally therefrom,

said female body portion including a sleeve adapted to enclose the pointed end of said prong when swung toward said male portion,

said sleeve including a pair of resilient flaps engageable on opposite sides of said prong and engaging the enlarged pointed end to hold said prong from accidental withdrawal from said sleeve,

said male and female portions being pivotally connected by a flexible strap extending radially from said female body portion and including pivot means extending transversely of said strap, and by a pair of spaced ears on said male body portion pivotally supporting said pivot means.

2. A fastening device including:

a male portion and a female portion,

said male portion including a disc-like base having a pair of parallel prongs projecting therefrom in a direction substantially normal thereto,

said prongs having shanks and enlarged pointed ends on said shanks,

said female portion including a disc-like base having a pair of parallel open ended sleeves projecting therefrom, the axes of which are spaced apart a distance equal to the axes of said prongs, the sleeves enclosing said enlarged prong ends when said portions are engaged,

said sleeves each including a pair of opposed inwardly inclined flaps at the outer open end thereof in end abutting relation,

the enlarged ends of said prongs engaging the ends of said flaps when said portions are engaged,

a radially extending resilient strap on said female portion, a transverse pivot means on the ends of said strap, and a pair of ears on said male portion pivotally supporting said pivot means.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said ears are notched to detachably engage said pivot means.

4. A fastening device including:

a male body portion and a female body portion hingedly connected for movement toward and away from one another,

said male body portion including a prong having a shank provided with an enlarged pointed end extending substantially normally therefrom,

said pointed end including a conical tip portion connected at its base to the large diameter end of a frusto-conical portion, the small diameter end of which is connected to said shank,

said female body portion having a sleeve thereon adapted to enclose the pointed end of said prong when swung toward said male portion,

said sleeve including a pair of resilient flaps engageable on opposite sides of said frusto-conical portion to hold said prong from accidental withdrawal from said sleeve,

said frusto-conical portion camming said flaps apart to permit separation of said prong from said sleeve when pulled apart.

5. The structure of claim 4 and in which said male and female body portions include two similar spaced prongs and sleeves, respectively.

6. A fastening device including:

a male body portion and a female body portion hingedly connected for movement toward and away from one another,

said male body portion including a prong having a shank provided with an enlarged pointed end extending substantially normally therefrom,

said female body portion including a sleeve adapted to enclose the pointed end of said prong when swung toward said male portion,

said sleeve including a pair of resilient flaps engageable on opposite sides of said prong and engaging the enlarged pointed end to hold said prong from accidental withdrawal from said sleeve,

said enlarged pointed end including a conical tip pore 6 tion connected at its base to the large diameter end 1,156,231 10/1915 Holter. of a frusto-conical portion, the small diameter end 1,175,156 3/1916 Leali. of which is connected to said shank. 3,025,528 3/1962 Minter 24-150 XR References Cited OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 334,763

9/ 1930 Great Britain.

497,710 5/1893 Draper 24-156 XR DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 774,382 11/ 1904 Engle. 

